New Gambling Admission from UK Cricket Player Could Force Policy Changes
A pro cricket participant inwards England with a penchant for gaming found succour through the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA). Azeem Rafiq ran upwardly gambling debts that the PCA covered for him. The revelations come in as the PCA is fighting major favoritism claims.
Rafiq, a 30-year-old former player with Yorkshire racked upward gaming debts worth thousands of pounds several years ago, according to The Daily Mail. But, the PCA stepped in and wiped his slate clean. It also helped set counseling services for him.
The admission comes as the PCA is the centre of attending inwards the UK over claims of rampant racism. Rafiq is unity of those who claims he has been a victim of racial discrimination during his time on the pitch.
Rafiq has repeatedly criticized the PCA’s inability to funding him over racial discrimination accusations he made against players at Yorkshire and coaches at Yorkshire. Seven of these allegations were confirmed by an main(a) report.
Last month, he appeared before a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee. He was harsh inward his criticisms of the union, expression they refused to sustenance him financially, and that its only vexation was for his mental health, which he says was evident during his suicidal stop lastly winter.
“The PCA make (sic) been a reinforcement to me throughout my vocation in a lot of different other aspects,” He stated during his appearance before the committee. “But inward terms of this case, it was made pretty shed light on to me that the back up wasn’t there, and that’s simply a square fact.”
Sports Leagues Look to Squash Sports Betting
Almost all major sports leagues make provisions that preclude players and team members from placing wagers on their possess sport, but non on other sports. The NFL is the exception. It prohibits everyone inward the league – except players – from any typecast of sports betting. In accordance with its Gambling Policy implemented inward 2018, players are allowed to strike the sportsbook, as long as they’re non betting on an NFL game.
Betting on Other Sports: All NFL Personnel other than Players are farther prohibited from placing, soliciting, or facilitating bets on any other pro (e.g., NBA, MLB, NHL, PGA, USTA, MLS), college (e.g., NCAA basketball), international (e.g., World Baseball Classic, World Cup), or Olympic sports competition, tourney or event,” the NFL’s policies on sports betting states.
The PCA is potential to make another looking at how it addresses sports betting in light source of the issues raised during the electric current ordeal with Rafiq. The organization already has measures inward come out to maintain players aside from sports betting. But additional protocols could live introduced.
The organisation recently teamed upwardly with EPIC Risk Management to accost gambling in cricket. While that understanding is intentional to encourage awareness of gaming issues, it doesn’t direct athlete play prevention. With the changes that are coming to the UK play industry, it’s possible all sports leagues are sledding to have to update their gambling policies.
Rafiq Isn’t the Only Gambling Athlete
As sports betting continues to accept snapper stage, thither are concerns that gaming athletes power live inwards trouble. Outstanding debts or simply an addiction to the activity, they assert, could tempt them to live swayed past an attempt to jam a game.
Most recently, NHL asterisk Evander Kane was called out for his gaming debt. The San Jose Sharks send on reportedly owed around $500,000 to The Cosmopolitan inward Las Vegas for markers that he had been extended. He was also accused of having play on NHL games by his estranged wife. Her allegations were investigated by the NHL but they found no more evidence of his wife’s claims.
Over the years, a number of athletes have run into trouble for their gaming habits. Basketball’s Michael Jordan, baseball’s Alex Rodriguez, and many others found themselves, at ane dot or another, caught upwards in the action. Many were able-bodied to keep their activity below control, but some wound upwardly virtually penniless.